Even though we live on a quiet street in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, we still get stopped about 100 times a day. Of those 100, only half ask to pet my puppy. The rest will reach down and bop him on the head. That's not what's concerning me. I get about 5 crazy New Yorkers a day doing inappropriate things with my puppy. If you live in New York, you know how scary this is, because there's no way of telling who is going to do something wacky based on appearance or neighborhood. These are all people who live on my block and seem normal & nice when they approach us. Here are some examples of the people I have to deal with:

One guy pet my puppy after I told him not to, so I walked away. Now, every time he passes us he mutters things in my or my husband's ear about how we aren't raising our dog right and he made up some story about being a vet and told us we are going to have a neurotic Shiba.

One lady, who calls herself the neighborhood dog granny, stuck her fingers in Toshi's mouth with no warning to see if he was teething.

Another lady waved her finger really close in Toshi's face while I was telling him "drop it" and told him he was a naughty boy.

A doorman grabbed Toshi's nose and kissed him on the lips.

Yesterday, a man tried to grab the leash from me, thinking he would help get Toshi into my building. Scary!!

I have witnessed several adult tantrums when I said "sorry, no petting" at inappropriate times (when Toshi was just about to potty or sore from shots or crossing the street). People get so upset and offended when they don't get to pet the puppy.

Also, EVERY New Yorker is a Dog Expert and they interrupt my training to give their advise.

Toshi is a super social puppy and loves to say hello. So on the one hand, I think it's been great that he gets to socialize so much. We go to the small dog run every other day and meet children, adults and all kinds of dogs. He loves it.

I'm having a hard time knowing how to respond the the creepier people. At first, I was ignoring them and walking away, but in some cases (like the fake vet who keeps harassing us), that's not enough. Most of these encounters have left me stunned and quiet. But, I think it's time for me to start telling them off. The problem is, I'm an introvert, so I'm slow to think of things to say in the moment. Some people are so good at giving a piece of their mind the instant someone is crossing boundaries, and I wish I had that skill! I'm working on it. Today, a man yelled "just grab it from him" when I said "drop it" (btw, Toshi is sooo good at Drop It, so I wasn't worried). And I yelled back "don't tell me what to do with my dog" and he said "oh, sorry".

Do you all think the "ignoring approach" or the "telling people off" approach is best? And, do the benefits of socializing outweigh the negative affects of meeting the occasional nut job? Should I keep allowing him to say hi as much as I do since he likes it so much? I can't really predict when someone will do something inappropriate, so it seems the most I can do is correct them after the fact. Hopefully, these instances don't eventually turn Toshi off from meeting people!

I live in Florida and have had some similar incidents, primarily with homeless people trying to be all over Chi on our walks. Once we were walking by a group of homeless people on a park trail, one of them tried to scoop him up grab him. Chi gave him a "warning" by screaming at him. What I found that helps is stopping them before they try to grab at him and saying, "Sorry, we're training him, so could you please ask if you would like to pet him?" Then making Chi sit. I also tell him to either pet his chest, neck, or back since he doesn't like strange people grabbing onto his head. I also try to bring treats on my walks so they can even ask him to sit/lay down/shake and give it to them.

If it bothers you, get a service dog vest that says "in training, please don't pet me"

That or....work on training your shiba to pay attention to you versus the strangers when you command it. My shiba gets curious and would stop and observe strangers but I would give her a "its ok leave it, let's go" command and she will continue our walk without stopping (although she keeps an eye on the stranger). I usually rush past strangers that I feel uncomfortable with, or purposely turn the other way, cross the street, or take an alternative route so we don't cross paths.

Oh yeah, that's my other question. Should I tell everyone who reaches down without asking to stay away? Or at least say "ask before petting"? That would cut down his socializing to half. In general, the people who ask first tend to be really good with him!

New York: high volume of people = higher chances I'll come across someone weird

It really depends. I take control when it's a child - some people think my dog is a petting zoo and Tierce is very nervous around small toddlers. Most of the time, the parents stand there with a goofy grin while I do their job of telling children how not to get bitten.

I take each situation as it comes. There's nothing wrong with telling people to get out of your dog's face. Unfortunately in Canada, you can't carry a handgun, but pepper spray is an option here.

I think it's better to cut down the socializing than to have the possibility of something negative happen and cause future problems. I do find it more polite to tell them to ask to pet (I am rather shy, with panic/anxiety issues) rather than stay away. However, if someone is not willing to listen, I will just walk away from them.

@Bootz, @disastershiba, Great idea. I think now that he's had the initial excitement of being able to say hi to other dogs & people on the street, I will start to cut down on socializing during walks. I like the idea of him starting to focus more on my commands rather than everyone he passes, and it sounds like that'll help. I think I will give him more freedom to say hello at the park or dog run.

I've noticed whenever I say "sorry no petting" people want an explanation because they think it sounds strange. I've changed it to "sorry no petting RIGHT NOW". That seems to help them know we are trying to focus on walking or training.

As a native New Yorker I can empathize. Bootz's has made some excellent recommendations. What I have found walking my two Shiba down NYC streets is when I am being approached I stop and shorten up on the leashes while making eye contact. The other person will usually talk to me before attempting to pet them.

The other possibility is that he will become totally "bomb proof"...I guess it's a balancing act and you have to judge each incident...but like a loud truck going by - when Koji would get startled I'd talk nonchalant - praise etc.. and now loud trucks are no big deal - he's pretty bomb proof..

You could treat weirdos like loud trucks - ignore, walk away, or tolerate it.. and tell your doggie what a good boy he is for not being phazed... :) I always praise and thank Koji when he deals well with things...

You can't turn NYC "off" maybe use it to your advantage...of course if someone is completely crazy-dangerous that's another thing...but if he's going to live there he will have to deal with lots of people and their quirks -

I'm an NYC shiba owner and I found it more helpful to turn those situations around in my favor. When people tried to pet my dog or even asked first, I carried a treat bag and offered instead for them to give her a treat and a hand sniff/pet if she was willing. If someone were to simply grab my dog and pick her up I would not be ok with that and I would say as much.

Unfortunately living in a city as packed as NYC AND having a puppy is a recipe for having a lot of interactions with people, weird or otherwise. I would suggest trying to not take peoples weird comments or suggestions personally.

@Koji's mom and @Mackers, good point on acting casual. He's not to the point yet where he's snippy, scared or barks. Although, he did get bitey when the lady shoved her fingers in his mouth. lol wonder why. Hopefully, I can find a calm way to say "that's not ok with me" so he doesn't sense I'm upset. I'll try to reward him for making it through the strange experiences that I just can't prevent...because they are bound to happen.

I just took him out for a long walk and we said hi less often when we were trying to get from point A to point B. I noticed he started listening to me more and didn't put on his breaks as much because there were less distractions. That approach felt safer for him, especially when we were about to cross the street. I didn't have people getting him all worked up and bouncy at street corners. Once we got to the park, I rewarded him with playing in the grass and let him go bonkers there.

Thanks everyone! I think all of your tips will help me find the right balance with this problem.

"yellow ribbon on to a dogs leash to let others know that the dog needs space"

Not everyone know about this and some who do think the ribbon means the dog is aggressive..

Someone had a yellow vest on their dog for visibility so hunters wouldn't think their spitz is a coyote or fox and while walking in a park someone said he is a bitter isn't he due to the yellow vest. >.<<br />I guess try to be proactive if person looks like they are reasonable to pet the dog and not do something odd like stick fingers in mouth or try to kiss the dog.

Or keep saying please don't pet my dog in situations like dog going to poo or sore due to shots. I mean why would anyone want to pet a dog in process of pooing. haha

I've been lucky only had issues with two young boys.

Though I'm usually late in leaving the pet store or green house as people all sudden decide they want to see her when I'm heading out. haha

I try to avoid meeting and greeting when I walk with Kai. I move off the side walk, put her into a sit on the other side of me and avoid eye contact with the person as they walk by and give them a smile and a nod as they pass. They tend to get the hint and if not I try to give a quick "leave it" to Kai so they know my intention is not to socialize. I want her to understand that she doesn't get to choose who she meets, I do. Not everyone she sees is an opportunity to interact. You never know who is gonna have an issue with your dog approaching them. So yeah, working with your pup to focus on you more and wait for your cue before focusing on another person is sometimes all you need to give them a hint that you're not interested in chatting. You could also apologize and say you have somewhere to be and you're in a hurry. That can also give you some time to scamper away!

OMG I live in NY too although I live in the Bronx and some of the people near me are - well not always friendly looking. I'm pretty quiet too especially since moving to the Bronx from Bklyn 2 years ago, I don't want any beef with the natives. But I've had a strange woman who I've seen around before that has an obvious dog fetish as in she will even see strays and yell across the street, "OMG look at that sweetie, come here boy!" and follow this dog down the street until she gets her grubby hands on him. And so when she met my dog, I was walking down the street minding my business and I hear "OMG who is that gorgeous thing?" and she proceeds to cross the street to talk baby language at Tali and pet her. I'm thinking omg this lady is on something, and because I don't know what people on drugs are capable of, I try to be as friendly as possible but quick and to the point. I don't think the lady was dangerous but I definitely didn't trust her, so I answered basic questions like yes, she's a girl and she's this many months old, and do the old "Come on Tali, let's go" and act like I've got somewhere to be. Hell make sh*t up, "Come on Tali, grandma's waiting for us and she'll be mad if we're late."

Once had an old Irish man stop to pet Tali and this launched him into a history lesson of how dogs actually evolved from wolves and cats from lions. For sweet slightly senile elderly, I just do the nod and smile. Harmless and just wants to tell me a little story.

As for dangerous, never be afraid, if your dog is small enough, to just pick her up and walk away. I did this when some crazy nut came stampeding down the street with his pitbull pretty much dragging him behind, and this wasn't a weakling flimsy looking guy - muscle bound and laughing bc apparently having your pitball drag you down the street is good fun, he was coming in my direction as his pitbull was obviously making way towards my Tali. He was making no attempt to stop his dog, say anything, NOTHING. I was PISSED and SCARED - I've seen WAY too many ppl in my neighborhood with no control over their pitbulls or WORSE, letting them walk leash-less. And so I picked Tali up and high tailed across the street and far away, giving that man death glares as I left. Another guy the other day was jogging around the block with his pitbull and startled me bc we were at the corner waiting for the light and his dog just rushes into my dog's face and I didn't even see them coming and he just sort of kept on with his running, his pitbull following behind. I was so angry but it happened so fast - I just got as far away as possible.

So if they're dangerous or you have any doubt, get the hell out of there. No need to be polite, no need to come up with an excuse, New Yorkers can either be nice or extremely rude, take advantage of being extremely rude in these situations bc you have the right. Even if you don't say anything, leave. That's it. If someone wants to start a confrontation, don't even argue back, take out your phone. "What are you doing?" "I'm calling the police since you find it necessary to confront me out in the street when I've made it obvious that I don't feel comfortable with you near me or my dog."

If they're harmless, just a little rude like sticking fingers in a dog's mouth, I'd definitely say that you're not comfortable with it. Your shiba is your baby. Would you let a stranger stick their fingers into your infant's mouth? Where has the stranger's fingers been? Better to look like an ass than to let something like that slide - who cares, if this person doesn't pay your rent or know you, can't please everyone in the world.

My favorite are the harmless elderly that just want to tell a story and cuddle with your dog. Those I wait out before coming up with an excuse or actually talk with them. You'd be surprised how nice some of them are haha.

Sorry for the rant - I totally understand where you're coming from so I just got angry just remembering everything I've gone through up until this point and people really, should not be this rude. And as a Shiba parent, you have to be their defense bc no one else is, only you. They look to you to see if something's ok (or they should haha) so if it's not okay, don't let it happen or end it as soon as it starts. Good luck!

Oh my, can't imagine how I would handle a place like New York where it is hard to just casually ignore people and walk by because there are just so many people moving about. I don't like confrontation at all with people, I get very defensive, angry, and I lash out, but internally feel scared and confused usually.

Typically, because we don't encounter people ever 5 steps on our walks, I can do what @Ramen_Noodle_Puppy suggests to deal with people I don't want to meet, but I am not sure that would work as smooth in certain areas of New York. In most cases I can distance myself before the encounter by shifting my forward motion somehow even if it is a step over into the grass 5 feet or so as we continue forward.

I don't envy the issues of dealing with walking a dog, especially a cute Shiba pup, in a very busy area like New York City is with lots of weird people not all who are trustable.

I used to take Rigby to work with me everyday in downtown Seattle in Pioneer Square... if you're not familiar with Seattle, that area is kind of a mixed bag. I had all sorts of weird stuff happen, some main tried to freak him out by throwing around his hands in his face and yelling (& I blocked him and accidentally stepped on Rigby's foot...). people taking pictures of him, and I even had someone that was visiting my work pick him up, throw him up in the air, and hold him on his back like a baby. I was so stunned by the whole thing to react and luckily he doesn't mind being held. Haha, I guess what I'm saying is people are weird/crazy everywhere. :P

I generally would just walk him on a short lead, and pay attention to what was coming. He generally would just try to meet everyone, especially the people I didn't really want him to meet. Many people were good about asking to pet, but if they were reaching down I'd say "he likes being pet under the chin" and if they didn't get the hint, I'd keep moving.

Sometimes people would also try to feed him treats. That is so awkward to tell people no you cannot feed my dog your strange treat, but I heard about people putting nails in dog treats at the dog park and that is scary. Not to mention, who knows what kind of terrible quality "cookies" they have, or where its been.

Honestly, it sucks, but just be to the point and rude if people get up in your space and you don't feel comfortable. Its your dog, and its your space. Say "I've got somewhere to be" or "I'm running late" and keep going. After several incidents with people shoving their dog in my dog's face, or letting their dog go running at the end of a flexi-lead, I've learned to just say "no thanks" and keep going.

Good luck! I'm sure after a few more of these situations and getting comfortable making your "escape" you'll become more extroverted when it comes to your pup :)

Maybe I should have gotten an ugly dog so no one would want to touch it. : P

The plus side to all of this is that Toshi is training me to be more assertive and not worry about being super nice to every single person who says hi. He's also training me to get to know the nicer people on my block. Meeting neighbors and becoming their friends never happened before puppy arrived! (although, sometimes I think he believes he's making the friends and I'm just the wing man) ; )

Crown Heights, Brooklyn must be less crazy than the UES! The biggest issue we have are children who do not know how to interact with dogs, so I always carry treats with me, too and I ask them if they want to give Mandu a treat before they do anything- good training for the kids and for my baby! I always tell them they have to ask first and that good owners will tell them whether its ok. As far as adults, I have loads of people asking about Mandu but nothing crazy. If Mandu is anxious, I can tell, and I calmly tell people that he doesn't do well with strangers. They almost always just say "ok!" Sometimes they'll offer training advice, and though it's irritating because Mandu is trained just fine, I nod my head and say "thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Have a nice day." I am actually an extrovert and can be quite confrontational, but I find that being firm but kind keeps me and my dog the safest. Also, making friends with neighborhood folks is always a good idea. I have some new friends who are always on the lookout for me and for Mandu, so no trouble so far!

Wow after reading all of this, I'm glad I'm in Milwaukee, WI. We have our fair share of crazies but since Dasha isn't a lab, most people don't want to come right up to her and do any of these things that have been mentioned!! I wish you all lots of luck with the crazies!!

I currently live in CT but frequently visit Brooklyn where my family and friends are. Usually the people that come up to Loki are very friendly and will ask if they can pet him. A few times I'll see people rushing in to pet him and just say "Be careful he bites" even though he doesn't bite and has never bit someone intentionally. They'll usually get flustered and back away.

I did have a problem with one lady though. She stopped calmly and asked if she could pet him. A quick observation told me that she was normal and wouldn't give me any trouble. Man was I wrong, I looked away for two seconds and she picked him up and started a make out session. That quickly ended with me tell her to F-off. Some people just don't have a sense of mind and you need to be vigilant with whom you allow your dog to interact with.

Ah - yes this drives me nuts! Yesterday me and Shinobi were sitting on the beach (Shinobi on a very short leash right next to me) when this toddler wondered up and started trying to smack her on the nose! I was looking around for her parents who were no where to be found, so I pulled the dog away from the kid, said 'Careful she's a little bitey' and of course the kid starts crying hysterically because she really wanted to hit my dog - then the parents show up and tell me off for 'letting' my dog 'bite' their kid - of course I didn't!! This is how bogus law suits get filed. I always tell people she's teething and bitey and that usually stops them - if they go ahead regardless and meet some teeth well they've had fair warning, my dog's on a lead and the way I see it they're trespassing on my 'property' in a sense - get off my dog! I am a little protective though and I would hate anyone to actually get bitten, that would be awful. She doesnt bite as such but she still mouths like crazy and when people pull their hands away from teeth that's when they'll get a scratch.

Oh man, that's a trip when children are involved, parents who aren't experienced with dogs or have dogs don't understand and then those kids that aren't being watched - the worse! I've purposely been training Tali not to jump on ppl bc I know one of these days, some un-monitored kid like the one you encountered is going to attempt to go up to Tali, and Tali being excited might jump on this kid and all of a sudden "ATTACK my kid is being attacked!" Well I'll most likely stop her before she even attempts to jump. I usually steer her away from small children, baby carriages and the elderly. Just in case. ;-)

I think it is a city thing, when I visit my mum who live in a small community very few care about Juni, but here in Stockholm it can be crazy too. People grab her, poke her, take pictures of her etc etc. Kids are usually well behaved and ask permission to pet her, but adults just grab her. Luckily she's overcome most of her aversion to strangers nowadays. Her look also seem to appeal to all kinds of people, from old grannies to teenage pitbull owning boys. I met one teenager (pitbull owner) that wanted me to take picture when he held her and kissed her. The weirdest thing was a lady who, behind my back, tried to feed her apple seeds after just finished eating the apple!

I've been wondering about why people want to touch him so bad-I wonder if it has something to do with their foxy appearance. An introvert myself, I've learned to be very assertive with loose dogs and people who want to pet him because I'd rather be viewed as a bitch than have anyone get hurt. Having run into people on walks multiple times, people recognize him and give us our space do that's helping.

@toshicityboy I live in NY also we get the same problem here in Staten Island. I work in manhattan at the spot experience tribeca location and when people ask to pet the daycare dogs especially the shiba's I tell them no or walk away I think what you are doing is best. Why put your dog in harm? no what i meant? so its obvious to just ignore or walk away. I live in the ghetto and all the time people will try to harass nanook or bother him. I only allow one person or 2 in my whole neighborhood to actually touch nanook. And I see that since they leave positive experiences for nanook, nanook will actually be a lot more friendlier than what he normally is. There is one guy that owns the only sulimov dog (russian military jackal dog) in the US and him and nanook are teh best of friends. The guy I have respect for him he doesn't allow anyone to touch his dog...unless you ask him calmly and your not excited and his dog has better reactions to those who pet him or approach him calmly. Sorry for this long comment but I figured I give you some stories to stry to show you that I believe you're doing the right thing.

I don't get why people want to kiss dogs all the time especially a dog that isn't theirs.

Careful with saying your dog is bitey even if it's puppy play and teething parent's can be over protective and think bitey= aggressive especially if their angel starts crying because the puppy licked her/him.

I had kids say she bitten me when saya licked the kid the mom saw and just told the kid no she didn't she licked you. I've been lucky either the parent's could care less about their kid or they do care and try to educate them to ask before petting and not be so overbearing like putting arms around the dog.

I hate it when that happens luckily i only had one incident where mom ignored their kids while they tried to provoke Saya she was afraid of little boys after that, but we worked through it and she likes boys now.

Last Friday we went to park for walk this one kid was so excited to met Saya I said it's fine and She petted her some and then proceeded hug Saya Luckily Saya likes kids and she didn't act stressed out. Mom told the kid not to do that which is good. Not every dog will tolerate hugs from strangers.

Saya just loves kids for some reason probably helped that she met a whole daycare of kids as a young dog.

It's something about looks, I think, but I'm not sure what, though fluffiness=people wanting to touch your dog. Of all my four dogs, the one people most want to touch is Oskar, the American Akita, and I do think it is because he is fluffy. Not a long coat, but slightly longer than average hair. I catch people trying to pet him through the fence.

Which is a seriously bad idea, because Oskar takes his watchdog job quite seriously, and I suspect he would bite someone, or if they tried to touch him without permission while I was walking him, as he believes he needs to get in between me and "threats" and strangers getting too close count to him.

and no one ever wants to pet Leo, my Kai Ken, and he is by far the most friendly dog of the four, and would love it. But he's shorter coated than any of the others, and brindle, and people seem just puzzled by him (of course they don't even know he's a breed!). I think the brindle puts people off for some reason.

My thing is with Ginger and kids. Dont jump the gun on me, I have nothing against kids, and Ginger loves playing with tiny humans. They fascinate her more than any other person can. (unless you're unusually tall) But my thing is, when they see her, they want to play. She's an adorable puppy that looks like a fox. Who wouldnt want to play? But it's the way they have the approach about it. This gets on my nerves faster than anything. They dont look at me, they dont say anything for me, they just get on their knees and pull her to them and start petting and grabbing her ears and feet. OR they just go up to her and pick her up without asking.

I had a few little girls around our apartments walk away with little scratches from her nails. they just go up to her and pick her up. Sometimes they ask if they can pet her at least, but pet means pet, not pick up and then drop her because she freaks out.

there was once a woman who (i was trying to train her to 'leave it' and that just because she sees a person, doesnt automatically mean she can bolt to them to go say hi.) she just waddled on up next to me close enough for ginger to reach her. I had already told this woman FOUR TIMES that "sorry, she can not say hello to you, shes training"the woman picks her up and just cuddles her really hard and then just holds her for a few minutes trying to tell me Im being mean by denying her attention and that it will make her a mean dog.

I said "no offense, but she isnt your dog." and left with ginger.

It makes me absolutely crazy when I see people who have service dogs, and people are like "aww a dog" and just go up and try to pet it and give it attention without the owner saying so. One man was trying to just get to his destination, and these ladies were in his way because they were trying to pet his dog. (seeing eye dog) I shouted at them. I lost it. "what the fuck is wrong with you?? Its a WORKING dog!!!"Shit like that makes me go crazy.

Most times I try and bite through it if it's a kid. But if they try and do something like give her food or candy (yes, they try every single time) I will say something. I hate arguments. I hate intense interactions. So when someone does things like that, its like an inner battle to scream at them or keep calm.

@shibamistress I totally get people wanting to rub all over Oskar. Akitas are not only fluffy but so big! More to love on! My friend has a super loveable white Akita named Valentino that I get to love all over. He gives hugs too. 8-)

Aside from fluffiness, people tend to go extra nuts when they see a breed they are biased about. I remember before getting Yuna (heck, I'm still like that now), each time I see a Shiba, my heart skip a beat and if the situation allows, I'll definitely approach them to greet and see if the dog is interested in saying saying hello. Many people get really excited when when they see Yuna and say they've never seen a puppy Shiba before. Especically when we get food or Starbucks drive-thru. I've had people inside the window spazz over seeing her, calling over colleagues and before you know it, there's 5 people trying to get a glimpse of her and showers her with compliments. Those days, hubby and I will walk around all smiles :\">

@SabineAstroph - As stated in the thread about kids and dog parks, the easiest solution to your problem is to stop letting kids pick your dog up. Keep your dog on a leash if that is part of the problem and stop the kids before they get to her. Be an advocate for your dog - It is your responsibility to keep your dog happy, healthy, and SAFE. All it takes is one bad experience and then you have a dog that is reactive to children or terrified of them.

Yes, there are a lot of crazy, immature, and strange people out there. Be an advocate for your dog, pay attention to what is happening to him or her and stop other people from approaching if their intentions seem to be inappropriate.

Casey, with Bella and Nola, hanging out in the mountains of Virginia.I Wander, I Ride

@SabineAstroph - As stated in the thread about kids and dog parks, the easiest solution to your problem is to stop letting kids pick your dog up. Keep your dog on a leash if that is part of the problem and stop the kids before they get to her. Be an advocate for your dog - It is your responsibility to keep your dog happy, healthy, and SAFE. All it takes is one bad experience and then you have a dog that is reactive to children or terrified of them.

Yes, there are a lot of crazy, immature, and strange people out there. Be an advocate for your dog, pay attention to what is happening to him or her and stop other people from approaching if their intentions seem to be inappropriate.

I understand that... but i shouldnt have to do that at a -dog- park. it's fenced in and everything for them to run around. not someones crazy kid

@SabineAstroph, you're missing the point. I don't understand why you get defensive and take it personal when caring members gives you advice (with your dog's best interest in mind). It's not sunyata you have to defend yourself against, it's those wild kids. You have so much to say here about it, take those words and use it directly towards the kids while it's happening - hey, don't pick up the dog. It's that easy ..

Instead you want to argue about how you shouldn't have to to do that at a -dog- park. Unless those kids or their parents are here to get the memo, nothing is going to change. You just have to speak up for your dog's sake even if you SHOULDN'T have to. Best of luck.

@SabineAstroph, you're missing the point. I don't understand why you get defensive and take it personal when caring members gives you advice (with your dog's best interest in mind). It's not sunyata you have to defend yourself against, it's those wild kids. You have so much to say here about it, take those words and use it directly towards the kids while it's happening - hey, don't pick up the dog. It's that easy ..

Instead you want to argue about how you shouldn't have to to do that at a -dog- park. Unless those kids or their parents are here to get the memo, nothing is going to change. You just have to speak up for your dog's sake even if you SHOULDN'T have to. Best of luck.

Im saying that I understand that I need to be an advocate for my dog. -.-' The point of all that that seemed to be completely missed is that people shouldnt bring their kids to dog parks just to play with everyones dog just so they dont have to watch them. Or, if they dont know how to behave with a strangers dog.

@SabineAstroph you are right, kids shouldn't be at a dog park just to play with dogs and kids should be taught how to properly approach a strange dog. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. As I just witnessed at a big group gathering today. There were both kids and dogs being allowed to run around and get in the face of other dogs. As dog owners, especially with a dog that's not a lab and that most people want to pick up and manhandle cuz they are so damn cute, we have to be on top of our game to make sure we are on top of our game. It can suck at time and we get made out to be the bad guy after telling a cute little girl that no she cannot per your dog after she came running up to the dog and got in its face. You'll find your groove and what works best for you to deter strangers from coming up to Ginger and grabbing her. On a side note, your puppy is beautiful!

@ToshiCityBoy I LOVE this post, because it is so foreign to me! Also- I love @Alyssa L 's name for her shiba-- Nanook- it means polar bear in Inupiaq. << I think? It might be Yup'ik. Anyways... <br />I think because we have precious looking dogs they're viewed as irrisitable. People want to say hi. We knew this going into being puppy parents that people would want to say hello. Given their independent nature, I think it's good for them to be as social as possible. Yuki LOVES saying hi to other people. I make sure to walk him downtown (please note- my community has 30,000 people in it so downtown is not like downtown NY). There are all types of people there- different ethnicities, people in uniform, suits, people who have mental health issues or who are inebriated. He loves everyone! He did have a hard time with someone who had mental health issues, who didn't pick up on Yuki's physical boundaries, and we were friendly and said that we had to go. Granted, we live in a community where if I'm rude to someone, there is a 100 percent possibility that I know their relative or friend, so it's important to be courteous. I couldn't tell him to go ahead and get out of my my dog's space!

Given that I'm a Social Worker and outspoken, I would probably not use the "I'm not comfortable" << although that's still a great communicator and gets the job done. It puts too much accountability back on you and your feelings, where these strangers are the ones clearly misbehaving. Why carry that burden? I would just say "no". If they're leaning down to pet him and haven't asked- say "no". If they are giving you feedback just say "no". "NO" and walk away. They will get the point. And then you don't have to come up with a speech. It makes them think twice about their bad choices and behavior! :) <br />I know you posted this awhile ago, but it was a great thread, so I had to respond. :)

Never had a problem with people doing anything to my dogs. If I took Kuma by himself then maybe but that's where having a dog with a bad, albeit undeserved reputation works in my favour. A lot of people who don't know my dogs don't come too close because they're afraid of the big scary husky, Oslo.

I get this in the centre of Tallinn too. Many people (usually tourists) always approach my BT; who is a timid and shy dog. I've had a couple of annoying and stupid people; one that stamped his foot behind my dog (thanks for scaring him?) - others who heard me call his name and think it's appropriate to call him whilst I am in the middle of training him. REALLY!?

Others who just go down and try to grab him. Usually he doesn't like people so I'll feel him jerking and sooth him. Etc.

But now that I live in suburbs of Tallinn (Estonia) everyone minds their own business. The only greetings Yoshi gets is from other dogs.Children are the only ones that ask if they can pet my dog too :) (so polite!)

We took Elwood & Sadie to a restaurant with an outdoor patio the other night for dinner. A woman & her three young children (2 girls & a boy) approached. Before I even had a chance to notice they were there, the little boy had grabbed Elwood & was rubbing his face all over him. Elwood was panicking so I tried to pick him up & tell the little boy that he needed to be more gentle. The two little girls asked very politely to pet Sadie (who was in my husband's lap) & they were being really good with her. Meanwhile the little boy was continuing to pull on Elwood's fur, push his face up against his nose, & otherwise harass him. I kept saying that he needed to be more gentle & trying to pull Elwood out of the situation by his harness but the kid just kept coming. Finally the mom told him that was enough & started leading all of the kids away. I let Elwood go (still holding the leash of course) & breathed a big sigh of relief. All of a sudden the little boy broke free & started RUNNING back to Elwood. Elwood growled & barked. That's the only time I've ever seen him react that way to a kid. It really freaked me out. Luckily the mom was able to grab the boy before he made it back to Elwood because I can't be sure that he wouldn't have nipped him. I hope Elwood won't be scared of little boys now...

I think main reason teens, kids, and sometimes odd adults do that(bark/stomp/growl etc.) is to get rise out of the dog or owner.. Teens would walk by or drive by and bark at my three dogs when I walked them I lived in Louisiana at that time and neighborhood was full of teens.

I just ignored them luckily my dogs didn't mind the barking and dumb behavior they never been stomped at or anything like that..

I mean walking two boxers and a catahoula mix you'd think people would not want to tease that many dogs!

Two kids ran at Saya once and stomped and barked it scared her so she was afraid of little boys for bit as a young pup. before that incident she could greet a whole daycare of kids no problem. I gave the kids a good yelling.. I just told them to stop this or next time you might not be so lucky! parent's were too busy to correct their kid so I had to.

I just told them to behave. I mean next dog could be more reactive and coarse mom would want dog dead when it defended itself.

Luckily most kids ask before petting or parent's stop the kid and have them ask.

I worked with Saya to show boys are not all bad and she is no longer afraid. I had to do kid watching from afar and over time worked with my younger cousins I treated her when they were in same room, but far enough she was OK with it and eventually she got to the point I could have them lightly toss her a treat and eventually she was able to get treats out of their hands.

Long process to work with, but it helped.

I live in country sorta and neighbor kids are pretty nice and mature. I've been lucky on outings in the park and downtown kids have been good. There were a few adults Saya was iffy with she just ignored them and acted aloof. I'm guessing they baby talked too much to her or acted odd for her taste.

I think people want to get the dog riled up and see it bark at them who knows. Teens can be such weirdos at times.